The Proposal
by greenho4
Summary: Shikamaru's just a lazy guy working as a secretary for the scariest lawyer out there. Her name's Temari and she's the most troublesome woman he knows, but he has no choice but to put up with her, not unless he wants to be fired. However, something unexpected happens and Shikamaru finds himself somehow engaged to the last person he ever expected.
1. Chapter 1

**Based on the movie "The Proposal".**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

The alarm rang, a loud, shrill tone that pierced through the haziness of Shikamaru's consciousness. The young man groaned, peeking his head through the covers to look at the clock by his bed. The white numbers read the time as 7:20 am, and Shikamaru stared at it for a full thirty seconds before shoving away the blankets and tumbling out of bed.

"Shit, I'm late!" Shikamaru exclaimed, irritation laced heavily in his voice. He stumbled to the bathroom, grabbing his suit off his chair while doing so. With one hand, he brushed his teeth, and in the other, he tried to change out of his shorts and pull on his pants. After spitting and rinsing, Shikamaru donned on his shirt and suit before wrapping his tie around his neck, trying to straighten it properly. Nodding to himself, Shikamaru took his hairbrush and tied up his hair into his signature ponytail. Working for as long as he had in his profession, Shikamaru had learned early on how to multitask.

The time was 7:30 am, which left him half an hour to get to the law firm before his demon of a boss arrived…and get coffee.

 _Don't forget the coffee_ , Shikamaru reminded himself, grabbing his briefcase off the table and tucking it under his arm as he answered his phone.

"Yo, Shikamaru, you down soon?" Naruto's cheery voice did little to brighten Shikamaru's souring mood.

"Yeah, hold up, I'm coming. I'll be there in a minute."

Shikamaru hastily left his apartment, making sure to lock the door properly before he ran down the short flight of stairs and to the parking garage.

Naruto was leaning against the car, checking himself in the mirror. "Do I look okay?"

"You look fine," Shikamaru said, unlocking his car and climbing into the driver's seat.

"You didn't even look!" Naruto protested but Shikamaru had no time to argue with him.

"We're going to be _late_ ," Shikamaru hissed. "Now hurry up and get in the car!"

Naruto got into the passenger seat, petulantly sticking out his tongue. "You mean _you're_ going to be late."

"We work at the same place, Naruto," Shikamaru sighed, starting the car. "Now buckle up."

Shikamaru drove in silence, his muscles tensed as he watched the clock every few seconds. It was 7:35 am by the time they got to the drive-through of the coffee shop. Shikamaru opened his mouth to say the order but Chouji was already at the window, handing him three cups, which Shikamaru passed to Naruto.

"You're cutting it short," Chouji said.

"I know, I know," Shikamaru replied. "I woke up late, for some reason. Thanks, Chouji. I owe you. Again."

His best friend grinned. "Just go already, Shikamaru. You don't want to be late."

With a nod of thanks, Shikamaru closed the window and continued his drive. Next to him, Naruto quietly sipped his hot chocolate, watching as the scenery passed by in a blur. Shikamaru shook his head a little, marveling at how Naruto had landed a job at the law firm with his childish personality.

.

The two arrived at the building with ten minutes to spare. At the front desk, Shiho looked up.

"You're late," she said.

"I know," Shikamaru muttered, grabbing the two coffee cups from Naruto and sprinting for the elevator, with Naruto not too far behind.

The two reached their destination, breathless, and Shikamaru hurried to his boss' office. In his haste, he failed to notice one of the deliverymen in front of him and crashed into the cart, spilling one of the coffees.

"Fuck!" Shikamaru swore, wincing as hot coffee scalded him.

"Oh, that's so sad," Naruto lamented.

Shikamaru glared at him, trying to wipe away the stain with a napkin. "Switch shirts with me."

"What? No way! I don't want a coffee-stained shirt!" Naruto protested.

" _Now_ , Naruto," Shikamaru prompted. "Trade shirts with me and I promise I'll treat you to all-you-can eat ramen on the weekend."

Shikamaru knew his wallet would regret such a decision but he was running out of time. His boss would be arriving soon.

"Fine," Naruto agreed, and the two men exchanged shirts.

"Really? In here?" Tenten asked, making a face at them at she walked by.

"It's an emergency," Shikamaru said, unsure as to why he was even bothering trying to defend himself. "You know what that witch is like."

Shikamaru finished buttoning up his shirt and picked up the lone cup of coffee while dumping the other one.

"Good luck, Shikamaru!" Naruto called out after him, settling into his own desk.

Shikamaru frowned at his friend but said nothing, entering his boss's office. Luckily, the room was empty and Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief. He placed the coffee on the desk and went to open the blinds, making sure everything was in its proper place. He opened his phone and checked the schedule, trying to remember if he had forgotten anything. Deciding everything was all set, Shikamaru looked to the entrance, anticipating his boss' arrival.

It wasn't long before she came. The atmosphere shifted palpably, from relaxed to tensed, and all the workers on their floor quickly made themselves look busy, shuffling papers about and answering nonexistent phone calls.

Shikamaru sighed, knowing another day in hell was about to start. Of all the employees, he had it worst, working under her directly as her secretary. And yes, that was a sore point for him, too—the fact that his boss was a woman.

Sabaku no Temari walked into the room, her head high and her eyes cold as she surveyed her subordinates. No one save for Shikamaru made eye contact with her.

"Good morning, Temari," Shikamaru said, walking towards her and handing the coffee over to her.

Temari accepted the cup and took a sip thoughtfully. She stopped at Naruto's desk and the young blond swallowed nervously, sitting up in his chair.

"Uh, good morning, Ms. Sabaku!"

Temari's face remained expressionless as she surveyed Naruto's shirt.

"Let me guess," Temari drawled and Shikamaru winced. He knew his boss to be an intelligent and perceptive person—one couldn't survive long in the law department without being so—and it came as no surprise to him that she had spotted the difference right away.

"Shikamaru spilled a coffee on the way here, therefore staining his shirt, which he traded with yours, Naruto."

"Uh," Naruto opened his mouth and then closed it. At Temari's intense glare, he quickly answered.

"That's right, ma'am," Naruto squeaked.

"Very well." Temari paused, turning to the rest of the workers. "Naruto, you and Shino are assigned Case Four-oh-five. Kiba, how's your case doing?"

Kiba stood up smartly. "We've found evidence that the opposing side's lying, ma'am. There's documents of their experiments, and some of those disobey the Animal Rights Act."

Temari nodded and turned her back on him, briskly walking to her office. Shikamaru followed close behind, making sure to shut the door behind her as she sat down.

"What do we have today?" Temari asked impatiently, and Shikamaru looked at his phone.

"Well, since you finished Case Four-oh-six yesterday, the higher-ups would like a summary of that typed up as soon as possible."

"That's your job," Temari said, and Shikamaru nodded.

"Right. Yes. They also have a new case available for our department, one from a famous client." Here, Shikamaru paused and Temari raised her head to look at him.

"What is it?" Temari demanded and Shikamaru cleared his throat.

"Well, the client is Uchiha Sasuke."

"And?"

"And, I think you should put Naruto on the team."

Temari scoffed. "Naruto has his hands full at the moment."

"Yes, because you just assigned him a case with Shino. You could take him off and put him on the Uchiha one; Shino can handle Case Four-oh-five by himself. It's a very simple one, a dispute between a landlord and their tenant."

"He's still a rookie. He doesn't have it in him to deal with such an important case," Temari said disdainfully.

"True, but he's a hard worker," Shikamaru tried to reason. "Just give him this chance."

Temari stood up slowly, her teal eyes trained on Shikamaru. Shikamaru took a step back involuntarily, knowing he had overstepped his boundaries.

"Remind me again, _Shikamaru_ , who is in charge here? Me or you?"

"You, ma'am," Shikamaru managed.

"Exactly," the Suna citizen said. "And I say Naruto stays on his currently assigned case. Is that clear?"

"Yes. Very." Shikamaru refrained from scowling, knowing his boss would not take kindly to such an action.

"What else is there?"

"There's a meeting with Uchiha Sasuke today at three. Also, you got a letter from your brother—"

"Which one?" Temari interrupted.

"Gaara."

Temari narrowed her eyes. "Hand it to me."

Shikamaru did so, procuring the envelope from his briefcase and handing it over. Temari slit it open and pulled the letter out, reading it quickly, a deep frown appearing on her face.

Shikamaru waited until she was done, watching as her shoulders tensed slightly, the way they always did when something displeased her.

Temari eventually put the letter down. Her movements were slow and deliberate, and Shikamaru wondered what the news had been, for her to react in such a way.

After a tense silence, Temari spoke. "My father is dead."

Shikamaru said nothing, unsure if she had wanted a response.

"I can't say I'm sad," Temari continued, as if Shikamaru wasn't in the room. "He's always been a pain in my ass. Still, I suppose it was because of him I landed this job in Konoha."

Shikamaru cleared his throat and Temari glared at him.

"Speaking of Konoha," Shikamaru said carefully. "Your visa is expired. The immigration office called again, and they said—"

Temari waved her hand dismissively at him. "Where's Tenten?"

"Tenten?" Shikamaru asked, unsure of the sudden change in topic but used to it nonetheless. Shikamaru had long learned to just obey Temari's every order.

"Yes. Where is she?"

"Uh, in her office," Shikamaru said. Temari got up from her desk.

"Let's pay her a visit."

"Uh, right." Shikamaru opened the door and caught eyes with everyone in the room. Shikamaru gave them a silent look, and the others knew their boss was about to step out of her room. Everyone tidied their desks and straightened their papers, pens scribbling away and fingers typing furiously at keyboards.

The witch herself stepped out, her eyes looking for any mistakes in the room. Spying none, she continued on her way, with Shikamaru trailing behind her like a shadow.

Temari stopped at Tenten's door and Shikamaru hurried to open it.

Tenten looked up from her work, her eyebrow raised. "And to what do I owe this pleasure, Ms. Sabaku?"

Shikamaru shut the door as Temari spoke.

"I'll get right to the point. You're fired."

Tenten stared at her in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Temari said. "I'll give you two months to find a new job and then you can just tell everyone you resigned."

 _No one will believe that_ , Shikamaru thought but stayed silent, knowing he was standing in dangerous territory.

"You can't fire me," Tenten spluttered. "Why would you do that? I've been the most loyal and hard-working person here!"

Temari sighed wearily. "Loyal? Maybe. Hard-working? A little doubtful. Did I not tell you to work on Case Three-Nine-Eight?"

"But I'm already helping two clients!" Tenten protested. "You can't expect me to work _three_ cases at a time!"

"I also told you to drop the other two; they don't have enough money to pay for it anyway."

"Not enough money? They have the required amount! It's not their fault they're not excessively rich enough to pay us extra! They're still our clients."

Temari opened the door, indicating that the conversation was over. "I gave you an order, and you failed to follow it."

Temari walked out, not giving Tenten the chance to reply. Shikamaru grimaced as he followed his boss out, feeling sympathetic for his former colleague but helpless to do anything.

The door slammed open and Shikamaru tensed.

"Oh, no," the young man muttered under his breath as he saw Tenten storm out of her room.

"Temari!" the brown-haired woman yelled and everyone in the office looked towards them. "You can't fire me!"

Temari ignored her and continued walking back to her own office.

"I've been here nearly as long as you have! I've done my work perfectly, and you know that! Be honest—you're only firing me because I'm a threat! You're afraid I'll take over your job as the lead lawyer in this department!"

Temari stopped and Shikamaru tried to hide himself in a corner. She whipped around, her face as cool as ever.

"Get this right—there's no way _you_ were ever a threat, and you never will be. Have fun finding a new job."

She turned to Shikamaru, who quickly got off the wall he had been leaning against, trying to look alert and attentive.

"I'm working on the Uchiha case this weekend, so I'll need you here."

"Wait, but my niece's birthday is… this weekend," Shikamaru trailed off, knowing his boss wasn't even listening. He groaned inwardly. How had he managed to get himself into such a situation?

Sneaking a quick glance at Temari's office and noticing she was busy at her desk, Shikamaru took out his phone and made a quick call.

"Hey, Mom. Yeah, look, I won't be able to make it for Mirai's birthday party. I'm sorry, Mom, but she's making me work this weekend. I know, I know; Mirai and Aunt Kurenai will be sad I won't be there, but what can I do? What? No, I'm not going to quit. I've told you countless times, I need to stay in this job. How else will I help Naruto when the time comes? It's a good law firm, and he's rising up the ranks. He'll get to the top eventually." Shikamaru sighed. "I'll mail Mirai's birthday present, okay? I'm sorry I can't go in person. It's not my fault Temari's—"

The door opened and Shikamaru knew without looking it was his boss.

"—one of the best lawyers out there. She's well respected, and I'm glad to be working for her."

Shikamaru hung up nervously.

Temari raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing as she made her way out of the department office and to the elevator.

Shikamaru followed obediently and the two arrived at the top floor, where the CEO of their law firm held his office.

Temari made her way over to the office and entered, closing the door behind her, clearly indicating that Shikamaru was not invited. Shikamaru stood outside the door, checking his phone again, typing a quick message to Kurenai about the situation. Sighing, Shikamaru tucked his phone away.

.

"You wanted to see me?" Temari asked, standing confidently in front of her boss. The CEO of their law firm, a silver-haired man named Hatake Kakashi, was seated on the edge of his desk, his hands holding a book.

Kakashi closed it and looked up. "I know you don't like to beat around the bush, so here it is: your visa has expired, and you're being deported back to Suna."

"Already?" Temari asked incredulously.

"Yes," said Kakashi. "Of course, there are ways to prevent this, but you didn't fill out your papers in time."

"I didn't need to fill those forms out," Temari said, a little self-consciously. "My father is the Kazekage—"

"I am aware of who he is, yes," Kakashi cut in. "But he has passed away, as I'm sure you've heard. You no longer have a right to be in Konoha, not without a valid visa."

Temari inwardly cursed his father for dying so suddenly. She supposed it was highly ironic that a lawyer was reminding her of the law. "Then I'll just work from Suna."

"You know that's ridiculous," Kakashi said. "A Konoha lawyer working in Suna? If we were some other business, you could possibly work from Konoha. But this is a Konoha law firm, and we work for Konoha citizens, not for Suna ones. I'm sorry, Temari, but you'll no longer be able to work for us."

"You'll have to replace me then," Temari said. "But you can't, since I'm one of the best, save for Neji, but he's already head of his own department."

"Unfortunately, that is true. There's no one more qualified than you for your department, but seeing as I have no choice, I'll have to promote Tenten to that job."

"Tenten…who I just fired. That Tenten."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes."

"But—you can't! She's incompetent next to me! You _need_ me!"

There was a knock at the door, and Shikamaru lazily poked his head through. "You've got a call from Uchiha Sasuke."

Temari glared at him. "I'm in the middle of something important here."

"I know, and I told him that, but he wants to talk to you right now," Shikamaru said, unabashed.

A sudden idea dawned on Temari and she gestured with her eyes for Shikamaru to enter the room. As always, Shikamaru did so, though confusion was evident on his face. Temari forced herself to approach him and carefully linked her arms with his.

It seemed she had trained him well, considering how Shikamaru did not move away, though he did tense a little, his eyebrows furrowing together.

Temari turned to Kakashi. "Well, you know, I didn't want to say this so soon, but I guess now's a good time as any."

Both men in the room looked at her; Kakashi with mild curiosity and Shikamaru with his continued puzzlement.

"I have to be a citizen of Konoha to stay here, right?"

Kakashi nodded slowly.

"Well, it counts if I'm married to one, right? I'll legally be able to stay then."

"That's true."

Temari could feel Shikamaru's eyes on her, and knew her smart assistant would be able to piece the parts together.

"Well, Shikamaru and I are getting married!"

There was a pause and Temari turned to Shikamaru, glaring at him a little, promising to make his life hell if he disagreed.

To her surprise, Shikamaru didn't catch on to her act. Apparently she hadn't trained him well enough for the job as her personal assistant.

Shikamaru stared blankly at her, his usually alert eyes turned dull with confusion.

"What."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Temari was staring at him, in a weird sort of way, her eyes narrowed only slightly—enough to get her message across to Shikamaru but not enough that Kakashi would catch on. Shikamaru still couldn't figure out what was going on—to add to his confusion, he could have sworn she said "I need to train him more" under her breath and Shikamaru hoped she wasn't referring to him—but he had gotten the general idea of the situation and knew it would be wise of him to follow along.

"The two of you are getting…married?"

The statement was from Kakashi and both Shikamaru and Temari turned to him at the same time.

The grip on Shikamaru's arm tightened and, knowing it was his cue, Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Uh, yes, that's right."

There was a long moment of tense silence, and then Kakashi shrugged.

"I can't say I'm too surprised," Kakashi commented casually. "I always suspected there was something going on between you two."

Temari raised an eyebrow while Shikamaru spluttered. He opened his mouth out of habit, to say that there was nothing going on between them, but the grip on his arm intensified once more and Shikamaru abruptly closed it.

"As long as you get it legalized, I don't really care, either way," Kakashi said, dismissively waving his hand at them. "Just make sure you get it done."

.

As soon as the two of them were out of the office and in the elevator, Shikamaru confronted his boss.

"What the hell was that?" Shikamaru demanded, scowling. "Would you care to offer an—"

Temari held up a hand to silence him, looking disinterested and unconcerned as she pressed the button for their floor. "We're getting married, that's all."

Shikamaru scoffed. "You seriously don't believe we're going to get married, just like that."

He crossed his arms, scowling even more. "Because I refuse."

"And why would you do that?" Temari asked coolly and Shikamaru stared at her, unsure if she was joking or not.

" _Because_ we barely know each other!" Shikamaru said. "People don't just randomly get married! Besides, I'm your secretary, not your slave. I'm here to help you with your _work_ , not your personal life. If you get deported, then that's not my fault. If you think about it, I even tried to prevent this from happening. I've warned you about it countless times, but you kept shrugging me off…"

Temari's eyes slowly trained on Shikamaru's, and he found himself faltering. He silently cursed himself for being so afraid of a woman.

"Do you know who will replace me if I get deported back to Suna?" Temari asked.

Shikamaru frowned, unsure how this related to the topic at hand. "No…?"

"It will be Tenten."

"Tenten." Shikamaru repeated. "You mean, the one you just fired?"

"Yes, the one I just fired while you stood there watching," Temari said. "And once she's in charge, do you think you'll be able to keep your job?"

"I haven't done anything against her—" Shikamaru objected but Temari cut him off once again.

"Nor have you done anything for her. You merely stood by silently while she was fired. Do you think she'll take that kindly?"

Shikamaru had to admit Temari made a point. "Still, Tenten's a fair person. She won't just fire me like that."

"Perhaps not, but you'll definitely be demoted."

Shikamaru winced despite himself. It had taken him years of hard work to rise to his position, all so he could ensure Naruto's place in the firm. Unbeknownst to Naruto, Shikamaru had done a little digging in their years in college and had discovered Naruto's heritage: his deceased father had once been the owner of Konoha Law Firm—the place they were both working at now—but upon death, had left the firm to one of his close employees and former student, Kakashi. Shikamaru had confronted Kakashi about it, and he had told the young college student that Minato had not wished for Naruto to be burdened by a preset role, but rather, for his son to embark on his own journey and discover what he wanted to do.

It was ironic, Shikamaru thought, how Naruto had ended up unknowingly following in his father's footsteps.

Both Kakashi and Shikamaru wanted to have Naruto take over the firm one day but knew the others would never agree; there was always politics to sort out with these sorts of things. Konoha Law Firm wasn't merely a law firm, after all. It was a thriving business, and the forefront of all law-related cases in Konoha. If it got out that a rookie was to take over, the law firm's reputation would fall to pieces.

And so, being the strategist he was, Shikamaru had made a deal with Kakashi, who had readily agreed: Kakashi would hire Shikamaru at the lowest assistant job available, and he would work his way up to a high position so that he would be able to help Naruto with all the tedious stuff when the time came. Meanwhile, Shikamaru would make sure Naruto was studying properly (there was no question Naruto knew had to study hard, but he didn't always do it the right way) and become a decent-enough lawyer that the firm would have no reason to refuse to hire Naruto.

The elevator door opened and the two of them stepped out.

"I can handle a demotion," Shikamaru said, shaking his thoughts away. "I'll still have my job, either way."

"And what if you don't?" Temari argued. She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping. "If Tenten fires you, you can be sure you'll have a hard time working for a law firm again."

Shikamaru frowned, narrowing his eyes at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know I hold a certain reputation among the lawyers," Temari said. "I'll have no trouble finding a job in Suna, but before I go, I'll make sure the other firms know not to hire you."

"Are you…threatening me?" Shikamaru asked.

"Who knows?" Temari said. She smiled at him. "Of course, we don't have to find out, now do we?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily as he considered his options. If he didn't follow along with Temari's insane plan, he risked the chance of losing his job forever. On the other hand, he could keep his job and would only have to deal with Temari for a short while before they filed a divorce.

"Fine, I'll marry you."

Temari smirked. "I'm glad you're being reasonable."

"YOU TWO ARE GETTING MARRIED?"

A mess of blond hair popped up next to them; from where Naruto had emerged, Shikamaru had no idea.

"N-Naruto?" Shikamaru stammered, too shocked to form proper sentences.

"How long has he been listening?" Temari asked, alarmed, and Shikamaru shrugged.

"Not long, I'm guessing. Naruto doesn't have it in him to keep quiet for long."

"GUYS!" Naruto shouted as he ran back to his desk. "SHIKAMARU'S GETTING MARRIED! HE'S MARRYING TEMARI!"

Kiba choked on his coffee and Shino dropped the stack of papers he had been holding, both staring at Shikamaru as he walked in behind Temari.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and avoided their gazes, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Are you serious?" Kiba whispered, his face a mask of betrayal. " _Her?_ "

Shikamaru sighed and kept his mouth shut. He wasn't very close to the other employees at the firm and knew Naruto would unintentionally spill his secrets if Shikamaru decided to explain the situation to him.

Temari walked briskly back to her office and Shikamaru followed behind, always the silent shadow behind her every move.

"Pack your things," Temari said once the door was shut.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her. Normally he would have obeyed her order without question, but today wasn't a normal day. "Are we going somewhere? You know you have an appointment with Uchiha Sasuke—"

"At three, yes."

"Then…"

"We will be back before three. It's only ten in the morning." Temari looked up from her papers. "Why aren't you packed?"

Shikamaru slowly organized his papers into his briefcase, watching Temari's annoyed reaction from the corner of his eye. "Right. Done. So, where are we going?"

Temari glared at him, clearly annoyed but Shikamaru couldn't care less. He normally wasn't the type to take petty actions, but he'd endured long enough under Temari's reign. Right now, she needed him more than he needed her.

"To the immigration office," Temari answered impatiently. "We have to make this legal, after all."

.

The city of Konoha, as the capital of its country, was a large city, and it took the pair roughly an hour to navigate the streets and arrive at the opposite end of the city, at the Hokage Building, where all the government offices were located.

After suffering through an hour of Temari's complaints against the city's drivers, Shikamaru grumpily parked his car by the Hokage Building. Without a word or a glance back, Temari opened the door and made her way to the immigration office, her high heels clicking loudly on the concrete floor.

"You would think she'd be a little less arrogant now that she needs my help," Shikamaru grumbled to himself. He locked his car and hurried to catch up to his boss.

.

The immigration office was crowded, and there was a long line at the front desk. Shikamaru heaved a sigh when he saw it, knowing he was probably going to be here for the rest of the day. Uchiha Sasuke would have to wait.

"Come on," Temari said, pulling on his arm and dragging him towards the front.

"The line ends here," Shikamaru pointed out, but Temari waved him off.

"Oh, that's for everyone else. We don't need to stand in line."

"Right."

Temari confidently pushed her way through, knocking over papers and purses, and Shikamaru mumbled hasty apologies.

They arrived at the front of the line, and Temari shoved the man at the front aside. Shikamaru winced as the man glared at them.

"Hi, excuse me, but I'm here to talk to Mr. Shimura," Temari said.

The lady at the desk frowned, clearly irritated by Temari's lack of basic manners, but she straightened in her chair.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No," Temari replied.

"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to make an appointment first. Mr. Shimura is a very busy man."

"I don't need an appointment," Temari said and Shikamaru pretended to be engaged with straightening his tie. "Just tell him I'm here to see him."

The woman sighed. "May I have your name and the reason for your visit?"

"Sabaku no Temari, and I'm here to discuss my… immigration status."

There was a spark of recognition in the woman's eyes. "I'm afraid your visa has expired. You're no longer allowed to stay here."

"Yes, I know," Temari replied. "But that doesn't apply if I'm engaged, am I correct?"

"Well, yes." The woman paused, looking skeptical, before she shuffled around for a piece of paper. "Please fill this out then. Let me inform Mr. Shimura of the situation."

Temari accepted the paper handed to her and held her hand out to Shikamaru. Shikamaru quickly looked in his pockets and withdrew a pen, which he handed to his boss. Temari filled out her paper in about a minute (Shikamaru figured she had to have gotten that skill from years of practice at the law firm in the form of taking notes) and then proceeded to tap her fingers impatiently at the desk as the woman continued to converse over the phone.

Shikamaru frowned as he watched. He had a very bad feeling about this "Mr. Shimura" person. Where had he heard that name before…?

"Mr. Shimura will see you now, in room 3A," the woman said. "Please be sure to have the form completely filled out."

Temari nodded. She gestured for Shikamaru to hurry up and Shikamaru sighed.

.

Room 3A was a small room near the end of the hall, with a large glass window in the wall adjoining the hallway. The front of the door was decorated with a fancy plaque reading:

 **Shimura Danzo**

 **Minister of Justice**

Shikamaru swallowed, suddenly remembering why the words "Mr. Shimura" had been so familiar. Lessons on government and the law sprang up in his mind, the images of Naruto hunching over a textbook and the stern face of Shimura Danzo peering back at him.

Shimura Danzo had a reputation among the law community for being ruthless and cunning. He had been a powerful lawyer in his younger years and was now one of the most influential politicians in their country. He was known to have a fierce love for his country and was willing to do anything to protect it, and from what Shikamaru had heard, he had an unforgiving attitude towards immigrants and foreigners.

Shikamaru could only come up with one conclusion: Temari was doomed.

.

"Ah, Ms. Sabaku, good morning."

Shimura Danzo was seated at his desk, dressed smartly in a suit. He watched the two of them intently as they entered. One of his eyes was covered with an eyepatch, and the free one was staring at them in a way that made Shikamaru rather uncomfortable.

"Here," Temari said, nearly tossing her filled-out paper onto his desk, "I have the form filled out properly."

Danzo stared at it. "So I see."

"Are we done, then?" Temari asked.

Danzo said nothing for a moment, and Shikamaru could tell it was getting on Temari's nerves.

"Why don't you sit down?" Danzo finally said. It wasn't a question, and both knew it.

Danzo looked over the form again before filing it away. His one eye raked them over. "Let's get straight to the point. Mr. Nara, was it?"

"Yes, sir," Shikamaru replied, sitting up in his chair as Danzo's gaze settled on him. He felt like a teenager again, being interviewed for a job that he hadn't even wanted.

"You're sure you are marrying her?"

"Uh, yes."

"And you're not lying to me to help her out, are you?"

"Why would he do that?" Temari cut in incredulously.

Danzo raised an eyebrow at her. "It seems suspicious that you would suddenly announce your engagement like this, Ms. Sabaku. Especially when you could have done this earlier and saved yourself the trouble of having to come here."

"Wait," Shikamaru said. "Hold up. Why would you even suspect us of lying in the first place? Did Tenten set this up?"

"Ms. Tenten? I did receive a call from her earlier, yes."

That was all Shikamaru needed to hear. "Okay, well, see here, Tenten's just trying to get revenge. She was fired not too long ago, and she probably knew about Temari's visa expiring and just wanted to get back at her so she called you. But trust me, she's lying. We're not lying."

Temari stared at him, and Shikamaru could tell she was surprised that he could talk so much.

"Are you sure, Mr. Nara? It's not too late to back out of this ridiculous plan of yours." Danzo held up a hand before Shikamaru could answer. "Let me remind you, Mr. Nara, of the consequences of such an action. If this turns out to be fake, you'll be facing a fine of $250,000, not to mention up to five years in prison."

"I…wasn't aware of that," Shikamaru admitted.

"Yes, exactly. So just admit it. Admit this is all fake and that she asked you to do this. I'll let you go, free of consequences if you admit it now," Danzo said. "But rest assured, if I catch the lie later, you won't get off so easily."

"That doesn't change anything," Shikamaru said, surprising even himself. Temari turned to him, her eyes betraying her shock even though her face was as impassive as ever.

"I'm not lying, and I'm going marry her," Shikamaru continued.

"It seems rather too convenient for Ms. Sabaku, though," Danzo said. "Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Nara?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Well, actually, there's something I have to say."

He looked to Temari, who was doing her best to avoid his eyes. It didn't matter. Shikamaru was so used to all Temari's mannerisms that he could tell she was worried about what he was going to say next.

Danzo leaned forward. "Yes?"

Shikamaru cleared his throat again. "Well, you see, the thing is, we didn't really want to tell anyone just yet. We thought it would be suspicious, what with my upcoming promotion and all."

"Promotion?" Danzo questioned, and Shikamaru nodded.

"Though, I guess it's not really a promotion promotion? I'll still be working as her personal assistant, but on occasion, I'll be allowed to work with the other lawyers directly. And of course, there's always the pay raise."

Temari nodded along, but Shikamaru could tell she was reluctant to agree to it.

"Very well," Danzo said. He looked at them again, and Shikamaru could almost see the gears turning in the politician's head. Now here was a man with an intellect nearly rivaling that of Shikamaru's.

"If this is real, as you both say, then have you told your parents yet?" Danzo asked.

Temari waved him off indifferently. "My parents are dead."

Shikamaru could hear the silent end of the sentence: _and you have no way to prove if I had or hadn't told my father before his death._

"And you, Mr. Nara?" asked Danzo.

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Uh, well—"

"We were going to tell them this weekend," Temari interrupted and Shikamaru gave her a questioning look, which she ignored.

"This weekend?" Danzo asked.

"That's right," Temari said. "This weekend. We'll be going over this weekend for his niece's birthday party."

"Right. And where exactly is the party being held?"

"The Ino-Shika-Cho lands," Shikamaru answered, knowing there was no way Temari would know that information. "A couple days from Konoha."

Danzo peered at them, and Shikamaru could tell he still didn't believe their act.

"Very well. I will see you two back here next Monday. If you are truly engaged as you say, then you will have no problem answering the questions we will ask you."

"Questions?" Shikamaru asked.

Danzo smiled at him, a predatory gleam in his eye. "That's right. It won't be hard. It'll just be simple questions that _normal_ couples would know about each other."

"Right." Shikamaru swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

Temari smiled back at Danzo, and Shikamaru swore the two had a stare-down before Danzo got up.

"You may go now."

.

Shikamaru was the first to arrive at his car, but before he unlocked it, Temari pulled him away.

"What the hell was that?"

Shikamaru stared at her, too weary to argue. It was lunchtime, and he was hungry, and he had missed his coffee.

"Your _promotion_ , as you called it," Temari elaborated.

"Oh. That." Shikamaru smirked. "I just thought I should get something out of all this."

Temari glared at him. "You're keeping your job. Isn't that something?"

Shikamaru scoffed. "That was fine and all _before_ I found out I could go to jail for it! Do you know how much that will cut back on Naruto's plans if I go to jail?"

Temari squinted at him. " _Naruto's_ plans? What does Naruto have to do with anything?"

"I—" Shikamaru halted, his face heating a little. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

It was Temari's turn to smirk. "Now that I think about it, why are you always so hung up on Naruto? What, do you have a crush on him or something? What are you, a high schooler?"

Shikamaru flushed. "What? No! I don't! Anyway, this isn't about him right now! It's between you and me!"

Temari shrugged. "I don't see what else we need to talk about. There's no way you're getting a higher wage."

"Are you sure about that?" Shikamaru challenged. "Because if you don't do it, I'll head right back and tell Mr. Shimura the truth!"

Temari narrowed her teal eyes at him. "You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I? What do you even know about me, Temari?"

Temari frowned. "Fine. I'll give you that stupid raise you want. Satisfied?"

"Actually, no," Shikamaru said. Slowly, a mischievous look made its way onto his face. "I have a few more conditions. We'll be going with Chouji and Naruto. You're buying all our rides, and don't complain about it. I know you have more than enough money. Also, you'll put Naruto on Uchiha Sasuke's case. Lastly, we'll tell my family about our engagement when I want to, and we'll do it _my_ way. Now, ask me nicely."

"Ask you what?" Temari growled.

"Ask me to marry you," Shikamaru said, as if it were obvious.

"What?"

"You heard me. We can do this all day if you want. I'm not the one who'll be missing Uchiha Sasuke's appointment at three."

Temari cleared her throat, looking ready to rip Shikamaru to shreds.

"Go on," Shikamaru said. "On your knee."

Slowly, Temari knelt and Shikamaru feared that maybe he had taken it a bit too far, what with the glowers Temari was shooting his way. But then he remembered Danzo's warning and he shrugged it off.

"Will you marry me?" Temari mumbled.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her. "No."

Temari scowled. "This is stupid. Why did you make me kneel down and ask you then?"

"No, ask me again. But nicely. Act like you mean it."

Temari ground her teeth and then forced herself to calm down. "Nara Shikamaru."

Shikamaru was surprised she knew his full name. "Yes, Temari?"

"Will you _please_ marry me?"

Shikamaru smirked. "That wasn't very good, but I guess it's the best someone like you can do."

Temari rose, glaring at him.

"Come on, let's get back to the firm." Whistling to himself, Shikamaru unlocked the car and climbed into the driver's seat.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

To say the rest of the week passed by uneventfully was an understatement. After their meeting with Mr. Shimura, Shikamaru had walked in to the judging glares of his coworkers, most notably, the ones from Kiba, which Shikamaru thought was a little unfair considering how this was only Kiba's first year in their law firm. What did Kiba even know about Temari, anyway?

Even Neji from the other department had given Shikamaru one of his seemingly expressionless stares. Though, Shikamaru wasn't sure if that had been a normal Neji stare or a judgmental one.

Then, there was Naruto, who had thanked Shikamaru endlessly after finding out he had been responsible for placing Naruto on Uchiha Sasuke's case. Unfortunately, that didn't stop at the workplace, either. Naruto wasn't the best driver out there, so Shikamaru was the one who drove them home after work. Naruto would spend countless time switching from teasing Shikamaru to giving him funny looks to thanking Shikamaru again and again, and Shikamaru was getting tired of it.

To make matters worse, Temari had told her brothers the news. Upon hearing the news, her two brothers had vowed to come to Konoha as soon as they could. Kankuro had called Shikamaru's cell (Shikamaru suspected he had either hacked Temari's files to find his number or Temari had given it to him because Shikamaru would never willingly endanger his own life by giving his personal information to either of her brothers), threatening to kill him once he and Gaara landed in Konoha on the weekend.

Temari's youngest brother Gaara had been somewhat calmer, though not by much. Shikamaru had received a two-page handwritten letter— _who even wrote by hand these days?—_ the very next day, outlining everything Gaara would do if he ever hurt Temari. It was something he should have expected from the next ruler of Suna, Shikamaru supposed, remembering the neat and organized writing. Still, Shikamaru was grateful for the letter: it was only two pages long, after all, and beat Kankuro's loud threats over the phone.

And lastly, of course, there was the call to his parents. Shikamaru hadn't told his family about the engagement, but he had mentioned that he was bringing his girlfriend. There had been a squeal, and then Ino had butt her way into the conversation, making exclamations of disbelief. His mother had warned him to "act like a gentleman" or else she'd come down to Konoha herself to teach her son a lesson. His father had merely laughed.

.

"Are you ready?"

Shikamaru looked up from his phone, where he had been reading some documents on its tiny screen. It was finally Thursday morning, the day he was to leave for home and spend four days with his family (courtesy of Shikamaru "bargaining" with Temari for extra days off so they could get there early). Chouji and Naruto were standing at his doorway. Naruto was dressed in casual clothes, an odd sight for Shikamaru these days. He had grown so used to seeing his blond friend in formal clothes at the firm that he sometimes forgot Naruto's normal clothes consisted of bright orange hoodies and pants. Chouji was dressed similarly, but in less bright colors.

"About done," Shikamaru said, putting his phone away. "Okay, let's go."

"Where are we meeting Ms. Sabaku?" Naruto asked, hopping in place like a hyperactive child as Shikamaru shooed his friends out of his apartment so he could lock the door.

"We'll meet Temari at the airport," Shikamaru replied. He paused. "It's kind of weird hearing us talk about her outside of work."

Naruto grinned. "It is. But what can we do? You're getting _married_ , Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru groaned. "Stop reminding me, Naruto."

The three of them got into the elevator, each carrying their luggage.

"But why?" Naruto whined. "Isn't it a good thing? Marriages are always good things. So, this is a good thing, right, Chouji?"

Chouji nodded. "It is. Still, I guess Shikamaru is a little embarrassed."

"But what is there to be embarrassed about?" Naruto asked quizzically. "He's getting married."

"Maybe the fact that it's _Temari_ he's marrying," Chouji mused. "Didn't you guys hate her or something? I've heard Shikamaru complain more than enough times to know."

"Well, yeah, I did find her scary and stuff, but I guess she's not so bad!" Naruto said. "She can't be, if Shikamaru's willing to marry her."

Shikamaru forced a smile. "Alright, come on, Naruto. Let's get going."

.

Temari was already there when they arrived, looking as impatient and bossy as ever. She was dressed in a purple skirt, with her arms crossed across her chest.

Shikamaru was surprised to see she even owned a skirt.

"What?" Temari demanded in her usual bossy tone.

"Nothing," Shikamaru said, though he continued to stare. Temari had brought three suitcases. That was more than what the three men had brought: Naruto and Shikamaru, being professionals at this point, had managed to pack everything into one briefcase while Chouji had brought a small suitcase (besides, the three knew if they forgot anything, Shikamaru's mother would not hesitate to provide them with what they needed). Shikamaru wondered how all of Temari's luggage was going to fit onto the small plane they were taking.

"If it's nothing, then stop staring," Temari snapped. "Or what, have you never seen a girl wearing a skirt before?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I've never seen _you_ wear a skirt. I thought you would wear pants."

Temari narrowed her eyes at him.

Chouji coughed, casually intercepting the two. "Hello, there. You must be Temari? I'm Chouji, Shikamaru's best friend."

Temari frowned, but to her credit, she accepted Chouji's offered hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Chouji continued. "I hope we can get along."

"Likewise," Temari said. Shikamaru couldn't tell if she was being polite or genuine.

"Did you check in yet?" Shikamaru asked.

"Not yet," Temari said. "I thought it would be better if we all checked in at the same time, since I'm the one who paid for it. The plane was nearly full when I bought the tickets, though, so I had to purchase them in two sets of two. Shikamaru and I will sit together in one row, and Naruto and Chouji in another one."

"That's fine," Shikamaru said. He suspected Temari had simply bought the ticket seats like that and wasn't too bothered by the arrangement. With Naruto and Chouji out of the way, the two of them had plenty of time to get their stories straight before Shikamaru's parents questioned them.

The four of them made their way to the check-in counter and Naruto nearly scared everyone when he announced he forgot his passport, only for Shikamaru to procure it from his own bag.

"I knew you'd forget it," Shikamaru said. "I saw it sitting on your table earlier and grabbed it."

Naruto smiled sheepishly as he took his passport. "Thanks, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru shook his head. He was going to have his hands full this weekend with Naruto, Temari, and Mirai.

.

Temari stared outside as the scenery turned smaller and smaller. Thinking on it, it had been a while since she last rode a plane, especially one as small as this. The Ino-Shika-Cho lands were in the countryside, and sparsely populated. They had one airport, and only small planes could travel there.

Temari thought back to the last time she had been on a plane…which was probably when she had left Suna after arguing with her father and had vowed to never return. She had yet to break that promise. How long had it been since she had last stood under Suna's bright sun, with the warm sand beneath her bare feet? How long had it been since she had left her house without bringing an umbrella out? How long had it been since she had met up with her brothers? Gaara left Suna as rarely as Temari left Konoha, especially now that their father was dead. He had to take the rein and make sure the country didn't fall to pieces. Kankuro, on the other hand, liked to travel a lot, but lately he'd been staying stoutly by Gaara's side.

"So, what's our story?" Shikamaru asked, breaking her stream of thoughts.

Temari turned to him. "Story?"

"Yeah, you know, like, what are we going to tell everyone?"

Temari frowned. "We met each other, fell in love, got engaged, and now we're going to get married. What else is there to say?"

Shikamaru let out a sigh. Temari decided he did that a bit too often.

"Look, we'll have to think of specifics," said Shikamaru in that bored drawl of his. "Everyone will want details. We can't mess up and tell them different things. They'll get suspicious."

"We'll just stick as close to the truth as we can," Temari said. "We work in the same law firm and that's how we met. And since you're my personal assistant, we see each other every day, and it just happened from there."

"Right." Shikamaru looked skeptical but he didn't say anything else. Instead, he rifled through his briefcase. As he opened it, Temari noticed he had barely brought anything, save for what looked like documents related to work, and a neatly wrapped present.

"Didn't you bring any clothes?" Temari asked.

Shikamaru shrugged lazily. "I'm going home. Why do I need to bring clothes?"

He took out a packet of paper. "So, I did some research, and I've come up with the list of questions they'll most likely ask us on Monday."

Temari scoffed. "They can't be that hard."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her in reply. "It won't be hard for me; I know practically everything there is to know about you. You, on the other hand, don't know anything about me. You have three days to learn everything you can about me without screwing up."

Temari rolled her eyes and snatched the paper away from him. "I don't 'screw up', as you put it. This'll be easy. I'm pretty sure I know more about you than you think I do. And I doubt you know the answers to all these questions. If you know me so well, then you can tell me when my birthday is."

"August 23," came Shikamaru's prompt reply.

Okay, that was an easy question, Temari decided. "How about this, what am I allergic to?"

"Nothing," Shikamaru said. "Though, that's debatable. I would say, 'being nice', but I'm not sure that's an official thing they'll accept."

Temari scanned through the list, a little perturbed. "You know the answers to _all_ these questions?"

"Unfortunately," said Shikamaru flatly.

Temari was impressed, but also creeped out. "Do I have any scars?"

"You have one on your arm from when your brother Kankuro accidently sprung one of his puppets on you when you were kids."

Temari blinked. "How do you know that?"

"I told you, I know everything about you. And also, you once argued over the phone with him and it was mentioned."

"Fine. Here's another one, whose place do we stay at, yours or mine?"

"Oh, that's easy," Shikamaru said. "Yours."

"Mine?"

"Yeah. I live in the same apartment complex as Naruto. If you had been living with me, he would have known. He comes by my place at least once a week, and he's always coming and going from his room, which is on the first floor. He'd notice if you came by, but not if I left."

"That's…weird," Temari said. She had to admit it seemed like Shikamaru had everything planned out. He was always a smart one, even if Temari refused to admit it aloud.

"Now, let me ask you," Shikamaru said. "When's _my_ birthday?"

"September 22," Temari answered, surprising Shikamaru. Shikamaru stared at her.

"Okay, now that's just terrifying," Shikamaru said. " _How_ do you know my birthday?"

"I told you, I know more about you than you know." That, and the fact that his birthday was approximately one month after hers. She had heard one of her employees at the law firm, probably Naruto, mention it once, and she had remembered. She might not have cared, but she was a lawyer first, and lawyers always remembered details.

"Fine," Shikamaru grumbled. "How many siblings do I have?"

"You don't have any…" Temari hesitated. She was fairly sure Shikamaru didn't have any.

"That would technically be correct," Shikamaru said and Temari smirked but Shikamaru held up a hand to stop her gloating. "However, I do consider Chouji and Ino as my siblings. We were practically raised together."

"The answer is still none," Temari insisted.

Shikamaru hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Temari felt like hitting him.

"Wait," Temari said, a question suddenly coming to her. "If you have no siblings, then how do you have a niece?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "She's not my niece by blood. But we're close enough that I might as well be an uncle. Besides, I'm old enough at this point that it would be a bit weird for a four-year-old kid to call me 'brother'. Well, she'll be five on Sunday, but that's not the point."

"So, you're not related to any of them, but you consider them family anyway."

"That's right."

Temari frowned, taking it in. "Family" was such a strange word for her. Her family had always only consisted of her two brothers. Everyone else around her had always been afraid to approach her back in Suna. She couldn't imagine being so close to a stranger that she'd be willing to call them family.

Well, I'll be calling this idiot "family" soon enough, Temari thought wryly, watching as Shikamaru turned away from her to take a nap. Typical.

.

A few hours later, the plane landed, and Temari got up from her seat, eager to be off the moving vehicle. She glanced to her left, where Shikamaru was still sound asleep. It was classic behavior for a lazy ass like him, Temari thought. In all the years she had known him, Shikamaru had always done his job well, but in a rather sluggish, indifferent way that got on her nerves sometimes. Because of this, she had taken to calling him a lazy ass in her head, and occasionally out loud, when she felt the need to directly call him out.

Blond hair popped up next to them and a whiny voice started shouting. Temari closed her eyes, trying to ignore Naruto, who was incessantly poking at Shikamaru, trying to wake him up.

Shikamaru slowly opened his eyes, grumbling under his breath.

Temari smirked at him. "You've got drool."

Shikamaru blinked at her and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Temari grimaced, hoping Shikamaru wouldn't touch her any time soon.

"Hey, look, they're here already," another voice said. It was Chouji. He pointed to the window. Temari turned to look outside and saw what looked like an older version of Chouji, with red hair instead of brown, standing a little way away from the plane. The man was accompanied by a man with blond hair, and two women. One of the women was holding a small girl, who Temari could only assume was Shikamaru's supposed "niece", Mirai.

"Shikamaru! Chouji!" the small girl yelled as they got off. She ran towards them while the adults stayed back. Chouji smiled at her and Shikamaru went to pick her up.

"Hey, Mirai," Shikamaru said, swinging her around. Mirai giggled and Shikamaru set her down. "You're getting big, huh?"

"Yup!" Mirai said proudly. "I got taller!"

"Hey, hey, remember me, Mirai?" Naruto said and Mirai cocked her head at him.

"You're Shikamaru's ramen friend!" Mirai said.

Naruto grinned. "Hey, that's not a bad description! I love ramen! Oh, hey, let's get ramen!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Naruto. We still have to get there first."

Temari froze at his words. "Wait, aren't we here already?"

"No," said Shikamaru. "The airport is on the outskirts of the land. We have to get to town."

While Chouji talked to Mirai, Shikamaru and Naruto went to the back of the plane, where the crew were unloading the luggage.

Temari followed them. "Then how long will it take to get there?"

"A few hours," Shikamaru replied.

"A few _hours_?"

Shikamaru grabbed his and Chouji's luggages and turned to her, frowning. "You come from a desert country, don't you? Shouldn't you know what it's like in the more rural communities?"

Temari scowled at him, her eyes scanning for her suitcase. "Just because I come from a desert country doesn't mean it's deserted there. Suna is a highly advanced city."

"Oh. A city girl, huh?" Shikamaru smirked. "I guess you'll have to get used to it here. We don't have electricity."

"What?" Temari looked at him in horror, only to notice his smirk widening. Before she could respond, Shikamaru walked back towards his family. Temari fumed at him but couldn't follow, having only found one of her three suitcases.

After locating all three of her suitcases, Temari hurriedly made her way towards the reunion.

"You three look like you've been working hard," a male voice was saying. It was the man who looked like Chouji, and Temari could only assume the man was Chouji's father.

"Not too hard, I hope," the woman holding Mirai's hand said. "We don't want you tired out before the party's even started."

"Where's Dad? And Ino?" Shikamaru asked.

The woman who Temari guessed was Shikamaru's mother by the faint resemblance, and the fact that the other woman who had been holding Mirai earlier was most likely Mirai's mother, shook her head. "He's busy. You know how he is. And Ino stayed back. She says she has a surprise waiting for you."

Shikamaru groaned. "I hate her surprises."

The older adults laughed, and they embraced with the younger ones. Temari stood off to the side uncertainly, observing the family reunions. With a slight pain, she thought back on her own family reunions with her brothers.

"Don't be rude, Shikamaru," Shikamaru's mother scolded, noticing Temari's discomfort. She pulled on her son's ear and he winced.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Everyone, this is Temari. Temari, this is my mother, and my uncles Chouza and Inoichi, and my aunt Kurenai. And, of course, that's Mirai. And now that everyone knows each other, let's go."

Shikamaru's mother hit her son. "Be nice, Shikamaru. Your girlfriend's new here."

She turned to hug Temari, who hesitantly returned the gesture.

"It's nice to meet you, Temari. You can just call me Yoshino. I hope my son has been treating you well."

Temari nodded hesitantly before she was approached by another member of the group.

"You're Shikamaru's girlfriend, huh?" Inoichi said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Do you prefer being called Temari or Satan's Mistress? We've heard it both ways."

"Temari is fine!" Shikamaru interrupted and Temari raised an eyebrow at him.

"She's kidding! My uncle likes to joke around." Shikamaru laughed nervously, and then added under his breath, "A trait his daughter got from him."

"What does mistress mean?" Mirai asked, poking her head in between the adults, and Shikamaru quickly dragged her away.

"Nothing! It doesn't mean anything!"

"Thank you for having me over," Temari said, changing the subject.

"Oh, no need to thank us," Yoshino said. "We're thrilled to have you. Shikamaru barely talks about his life in Konoha."

"Now, let's get everyone settled," Kurenai said, retrieving her daughter from a flustered Shikamaru.

Temari trailed behind everyone as they made their way towards the parking lot. There were mainly trucks, but Temari spotted a few fancy cars here and there. Temari assumed those belonged to businessmen.

Naruto, Chouji, and Inoichi climbed into Chouza's car, while Temari was forced to sit with Shikamaru and Mirai in the back row of Yoshino's car, with Kurenai in the front.

.

It was another three hours before they neared their destination, and by then, Temari had to admit she was sick of listening to Mirai singing. On the other hand, Temari noticed that Shikamaru seemed perfectly at ease, smiling at the four-year-old as she went on another rendition of "The Wheels on the Bus."

She did enjoy the scenery, though. The entire roadside was filled with green plants. There were large oak and pine trees, and various shades of flowers, ranging from orange to pink to blue.

"And we're almost there," Yoshino announced. "We've arrived in the main town. This is the capital of the Ino-Shika-Cho lands, led by governor Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Temari perked up. "Sarutobi Hiruzen? Wasn't he the president a few years back?"

"That's right," Yoshino said. "After his term ended, he went back here to rule as governor. Our state has been run by a Sarutobi for generations."

Temari observed the city hall as they passed by. Compared to buildings in Konoha, it was rather small and unimpressive. There was a stone monument outside, its surface etched with large words that Temari could read easily, even at her distance: Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi.

Temari frowned, wondering why those words were familiar. The car passed by another building, and Temari caught the sign: Nara Law Enforcement. There was another building next to it: Nara Training Facility.

Slowly, the pieces clicked into place. Shikamaru's family name was Nara. Temari turned to Shikamaru, who looked as if he was falling asleep. Reaching over a sleeping Mirai, Temari prodded Shikamaru sharply in the ribs.

"Shikamaru. Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru sat up. "What?"

Temari forced a smile onto her face. "You didn't tell me about the family business, honey."

"He was probably just being modest," Kurenai said.

"Or, he was lazy and forgot," Yoshino said.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I mean, it _is_ called the Ino-Shika-Cho lands. What did you think the 'Shika' stood for?"

Temari narrowed her eyes at him and then looked out the window in surprise as she saw them exit the town.

"Shouldn't we check into our hotel now?"

"Oh, we cancelled your reservation," said Yoshino. "Family shouldn't stay at hotels. Besides, the hotels here are expensive and really not worth the price."

"Oh." Temari feigned a smile and made a mental note to kill Shikamaru later. "That's…great."

The car stopped at a gate and Temari looked outside.

"Here we are. Home," Shikamaru said.

Temari scanned the large mansion in front of her.

" _That_ is your home?"

The gate opened, and the car drove through. Yoshino parked the car in the expansive driveway and everyone got out.

The mansion was even larger up close. It was about three stories high, and there was a fancy garden outside, and even a fountain. The doors were wooden and polished, and there were large glass windows that gleamed in the sun. Shikamaru's home reminded Temari of the place she had been raised in. Except, this mansion was smaller and seemed more modern.

"Who are you people?" Temari wondered aloud and she heard Shikamaru sigh as he went to the trunk of the car to grab his briefcase.

"Why did you tell me you were poor?" Temari asked as she followed him.

"I never said I was poor," Shikamaru huffed, carelessly tossing Temari's suitcase at her.

Temari caught it clumsily. "But you never told me you were rich."

"I'm not rich. My parents are rich."

Temari scowled at him. "Either way, why did you make _me_ pay for the plane tickets?"

Shikamaru's eyes fixed on hers, the glint in his eyes mocking. "I wanted to."


End file.
